Edward Hawarden

(HARDEN).

Theologian and controversialist, b. in Lancashire, England, 9 April, 1662; d. in London, 23 April, 1735. The loyalty to the Faith that came to be a heritage among the Hawardens is testified by their maintenance of domestic chapels in their residences in Appleton and Widnes throughout the period of persecution, as well as the frequent appearance of the name on the list of non-jurors and the recusant-rolls. Edward, after a brilliant course at the English College, Douai remained there as a classical tutor, and after his ordination (7 June, 1686), as professor of philosophy. In 1688 having taken the bachelor's degree at the University of Douai , he spent two months as tutor of divinity at Magdalen College, Oxford, which James II purposed making a seat of Catholic education, but the impending revolution forced him to return to Douai, where he soon proceeded D.D. and was installed in the chair of divinity. In 1702 he was persuaded by the all but unanimous desire of the secular and ecclesiastical authorities of Douai to take part in the concurrence for one of the royal chair of divinity in the university, but the influence of a hostile minority secured the installation of another candidate by mandatory letters from the court. Shortly afterwards complaints were lodged at Rome that the Douai professors, Dr. Hawarden in particular, were propagating the errors of Jansenism, but official investigation completely exonerated all.

In 1707 Hawarden left Douai to take charge of the mission of Gilligate, Durham, and later Aldcliffe Hall, near Lancaster. The quaint brief entrees in the Tyldesley Diary give an idea of his daily life until the seizure of Aldcliffe Hall in 1717, after which he removed to London, probably on his appointment as controversy-writer. Dr. Hawarden received the thanks of the University of Oxford for his able defence of the Blessed Trinity in the famous conference with Dr. Samuel Clarke (1719). Among his works are: "The True Church of Christ, shewed by Concurrent Testimonies of Scripture and Primitive Tradition" (London, 1714); "The Rule of Faith truly stated in a new and easy Method" (London, 1721); "Charity and Truth or Catholicks not uncharitable in saying that none are saved out of the Catholick Communion, because the Rule is not Universal" (Brussels, 1728); "An Answer to Dr. Clarke and Mr. Whiston concerning the Divinity of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" (London, 1729); a collective edition of his works was published at Dublin in 1808.